The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1887-05-28
COrrespOHa 6eRace.
OPELoUsAs, la. May %, 1887 .

OPELoUsAs, LA. May -, 1881
EDITORS COURIER:
The question is being asked i'll our community
'swhy are the Catholics taking such an inter
est in the subject OF Prohibition, which Is now
beino a9itated in this parish (" The reason
will be plain when it is known that Pope Leo
XIII is taking an interest in the cause i'll the
United States, as will be seen by a recent let
ter to John Ireland, Bishop of st. Panl, Minn,
which reads as follows:
Below will he found ID translation of the
letter from the Pope to Bishop Ireland on the
subject of total abstinence 1t will be Of in
terest to all Catholics, and not only to them,
but to all persons who believe in the princi-
pie of total abstinence from all acohollc beV
6rages, as givin. the views OF the head OF
that branch of the Christian church which
contains among its followers SO large pro
portion of the Christians OF the world.
To Our Venerable Brother. John Ireland,
Bishop of st. Panl. Mimi: Venerable Broth
er-Health and apostolic benediction. The
admirable words or piety and charity by
which our faithful children i'll the United
States labor to promote, not only thelr own
temporal and eternal welfare, but also that OF
their fellow citizens, and which you have re-
Gently related to us, give to us exceeding
great consolation. And above all we have re
ioiced to learn with what energy and zeal, by
means Of various excellent associations, anu
specially through the Catholic Total Absti
neuce Union, YOU combat the destructive vice
of intemperance. For it is we'll known to uS
how ruinoua how deplorable is the Injury
both to faith and to morals that is to he fear
ed from intemperance i'll drink. Nor can we
sufficiently praise the prelates of the United
States, who recently in the plenary council Of
Baltimore with weightiest words condemned
this abuse, declaring it to be perpetual m
: centiye to sin and a fruitful root OF all evils,
! bringing the families of the Incorporate into
! the direst ruin, and drawing numbsrless souls
! dnuu In everlasting nprdiElOn. declaring
moreover, that the faithful who yield to this
! vice of intemperance become thereby scan
| dal to non Catholics and great hindrance to
! the propagation of the true religion.
Hence we esteem worthy of all commenda-
dation the noble resolve of your pious associ-
alton, by which they pledge themselves to alb
stain totally from every kind of Intoxicating
/ drink. Nor can it at all be doubted that this de-
| termination is the proper and the truly efhca
cious remedy for this very great evil; and
! that so much the more strongly will all be inI
duced to put this bride upon appetite by how
much the greater are the diguity and inf1u
ence of those who give the example. But
greatest of all in this matter should be the
zeal of priests, who, as they are called to in
struct the people in the work OF life and to
mould them to Christian morality, should al
so, and above all, walk before them in the
practice of virtue. Let pastors, therefore, do
their best to drive the plague of intemperance
from the fold of Christ by assiduous preach
ing ana e&noftatioD, auu 10 sutno oeAolo al! do
models of abstinence, that so mauy cala,nitles
with which this vice threatens beth church
and state may, by their strenuous endeavors,
be averted.
And we most earnestly beseech Almighty
God that, in this important matter. He may
graciousy favor your desires, direct your
counsels, aud assist your endeavors; and as a
pledge of the divine protection, and as a testi
mony of our pal ernul affection we most low
iugly bestow upon YOU, venerable brother
aud upon all associates in the holy league
the apostolic benediction.
Given ut Rome, from st. Peters, this 9th
day of March, in the year 1887, the tenth o1
our pontifcate.
r LEO XIII, Pope.
, Good Catholics are always influenced by
views from such source, and this accounts